LOOK: PCCI Director for Health and Wellness Dr. Hernando Delizo joins as a panelist in Sessions 4.1 and 4.2: Working Hand-in-Hand towards Sustainable and Inclusive Agrifood Investments at the Asia and the Pacific Food Systems Forum (Philippine Investment Forum) hosted by the Asian Development Bank at its head office.
The panel being centered on "Competitive and Nutrition-Sensitive Value Chains – Upgrading Economic and Dietary Value," Dr. Delizo advocated that the ease of doing business is fundamental to building a competitive, nutrition-sensitive value chain. He stressed the need for clarity of policy, predictability, and stability to strengthen the business climate and boost investor confidence — noting that fragmented implementation of national policies creates a disconnect that dampens investment and stalls efforts to upgrade both the economic and dietary value of food systems. He also identified the lack of market-driven aggregation value as the most significant constraint facing the food system today, one that continues to drive food losses and inefficiencies.
On upgrading dietary value, Dr. Delizo called for a fundamental shift in perspective — from "calorie per hectare" to "value per calorie,” prioritizing nutritional quality over volume. He argued that when policy makes high-nutrition food production more profitable, private investment will naturally follow.
He also warned that without a functioning value chain, the system ends up incentivizing sickness over prevention. These structural gaps carry a massive economic cost, with diet-related diseases such as diabetes and obesity. This underscores the urgent need for a preventative, nutrition-centered approach to food systems.